Bargnani says "NO!" to Italian national team

May 20, 2008

Andrea BargnaniFIBA Europe reported, that Italian star Andrea Bargnani will not play for his country this season when the Azzurri attempt to qualify for [tag]EuroBasket 2009[/tag] in Poland.

National team coach Carlo Recalcati has given up on the seven-footer, with Bargnani facing a hard summer of training to prepare for his third NBA campaign with the Toronto Raptors.

Bargnani is not the only one who choses the league games or even a free summer over his national team. Tony Parker will also not play for France and even superstar Sandrine Gruda announced that the prefers to play in the WNBA this season than working out with the women’s French national team.

Of course there are also players that do the exact opposite: Dirk Nowitzki will play for Germany this summer, to get the ticket for the Olympics and Australian superstar Penny Taylor even said “NO” to the WNBA this summer in favor of working out with her national team.

Sometimes I really wonder what their motivations are, since it is not that obvious what to do, right?

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This post was published on May 20, 2008
General questions about international and European basketballPre-Olympic Tournament: Germany already practicing
Comments: 8
  1. Eric
    16 years ago

    First reaction : another European going for the $
    Second rreaction : there’s nothing to do, we’d better get used to it.

    In France, as you mentionned, Parker & Mahinmi(Spurs), Turiaf (Lakers),Pietrus (Warriors), Petro & Gelabale (Sonics), Diawara (Nuggets) won’t come to make the qualifying games of the coming Euro. They are tired, “hurt”, or need to show to get a contract…..and the common feeling among the fans : <>. We are going to root for a pure French Pro A national teams, and I will support them more than this assembly of NBA arrogants.

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  2. 16 years ago

    great insight comment as always eric!

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  3. Os Davis
    16 years ago

    With no Bargnani, i’m thinking “Ciao, Italia!” One key missing player will be enough to keep one or two otherwise solid squads out of Beijing. And since Nowitzki will be playing for Team Deutschland his Mavericks got bounced from the playoffs nice and early, a rested Dirk will be enough to get Germany through.

    But who else…?

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  4. Rob Enderle
    16 years ago

    > Bargnani says “NO!” to Italian national team

    And a grateful nation says “Grazie, you suck anyways.”

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  5. 16 years ago

    hehe – great comment Rob 😀

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  6. Jammy Dodger
    16 years ago

    Rob, thanks for the intelligent analysis. Get real man. Firstly, the kid Bargnani has real pressure to stay in America and work out with Toronto. It’s obvious he has some improving to do. Secondly, he doesn’t have a long history with the national team and that lack of experience was evident last summer when he wasn’t able to carry the Azzurri at the EuroBasket. He’s a player with immense potential. I look forward to reading your comments when Andrea does raise his game a notch which, rest assured, he will. Will he play for Italy in the future? I’m fairly certain most of Italy hopes he does. Let the Italians speak for themselves.

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  7. vasilii zakharovic
    16 years ago

    bargnani and belinelli only missing this summer…italy will qualify easily with serbia from that group a…serbia have same problem for 5 years, no stojakovic, etc but now krstic, and milicic even play in qualifiying…its because serbia., italy and france will qualify easy…all these guys will be there for eurobasket

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  8. Cassius
    16 years ago

    After the terrible, injury-riddled season Bargnani had, he shouldn’t even have been allowed to play NBA Live 08 during the summer.

    The NBA is his job and he sucked at it.

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